Housing tight as UT-Austin preps for fall semester

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Experts say housing is tight at the University of Texas at Austin because more freshmen than usual are expected.

UT officials recently emailed about 1,200 students on a waiting list for campus housing that it's unclear whether space will be available.

The Austin American-Statesman reported Sunday that UT is projecting a freshman class of about 8,000, up from about 7,150 last year.

Housing official Laurie Mackey says UT has about 7,500 beds on campus. About 5,000 beds go to freshmen. The rest are for returning students.

UT won't know until the end of August how many students who were offered housing will cancel their plans to live on campus. Further details on why more freshmen are expected than usual were not immediately available.